Initiates (Highest Caste White)
Representatives of the Priest-Kings in Gorean society. These men are responsible for guiding the spiritual life of Goreans through their rituals and prayers to the Priest-Kings. One can recognize an Initiate by a white robe, shaven head and face, and refusal to eat meat or drink alcohol. Caste codes also require a man to be celibate. Most are well read and commonly distrusted by those of the lower Castes
In
the next flash of lightning I saw the white robes of an Initiate, the shaven
head and the sad eyes of one of the Blessed Caste, servants it is said of the
Priest-Kings themselves. He stood with his arms in his robe, tall on the road,
watching me. - Outlaw of Gor page 40
Scribes (Blue)
Second of the High Castes. They are the scholars of Gorean society, the writers and the historians. Sub-classes of this Caste include the Mapmakers (explorers), the Magistrates and the Litigators.
The
Scribes, of course, are the scholars and clerks of Gor, and there are divisions
and rankings within the group, from simple copiers to the savants of the
city. - Tarnsman of Gor page 44
Builders
(Yellow)
Third of the High Castes. Their Caste color is yellow and their symbol is a metal angle square. Include architects, draftsmen, stonemasons, etc.
In Ar, for example, early in the
day, a member of the Builders will go to the roof on which the Home Stone is
kept and place the primitive symbol of his trade, a metal angle square, before
the Stone... Tarnsman of Gor ch. 5
Physicians
(Green)
Fourth of the High Castes. This is the Caste of those who concern themselves with the healing arts. Members include surgeons, apothecaries, medical researchers and health practitioners.
On
the first day the Physician, a quiet man in the green garments of his Caste,
examined me, thoroughly. The instruments he used, the tests he performed, the
samples he required were not unlike those of Earth. ...I could see neither cords
nor battery cases. Yet the room was filled with a soft, gentle white light,
which the physician could regulate by rotating the base of the bulb. Further,
certain pieces of his instrumentation were clearly far from primitive. For
example, there was a small machine with gauges and dials. In this he would place
slides, containing drops of blood and urine, flecks of tissue, a strand of hair.
With a stylus he would note readings on the machine, and, on the small screen at
the top of the machine, I saw, vastly enlarged, what reminded me of an image
witnessed under a microscope... - Captive of Gor pages 92 93
Warriors (Red)
Fifth and lowest of the High Castes. This Caste includes infantry, tharlarion cavalry, and tarnsmen. They are known to have one of the strictest sets of Caste codes in use on Gor. Members of this Caste comprise the military branch of Gorean government.
'You
have drawn a weapon against me,' I said.
'You
are of the warriors?' said the fellow. He wavered. He, too, knew the codes.
'Yes,'
I said.
'And
he?' asked the fellow.
'He,
too,' I said.
'You
are not in the scarlet,' he said.
'True,'
I said. Did he think that the color of a fellow's garments was what made him a
warrior?
Surely he must realize that one not of the warriors might affect the scarlet,
and
that
one who wore the grimed gray of a peasant, one barefoot, and armed only with the
great
staff might be of the scarlet Caste. It is not the uniform that makes the
warrior,
the
soldier. - Magicians of Gor page 129
*Note that some mentioned here are not truly a Caste but rather identified as a recognized group with a particular trade. It is also important to note that within each Caste, a number of sub-Castes may exist.*
Low Castes
Assassins - This Caste is comprised of those who kill strictly for pay; once evident throughout Gor, their existence has long been suppressed, though they still appear occasionally. They refuse to use poison to dispatch their enemies (they consider it the mark of an amateur). In addition, they claim no Home Stone. Almost universally despised and feared by other Castes. Their Caste color is Black.
"He frightens me," she
wept. "He is of the black Caste." "Serve him wine," said he,
"or you will be stripped and thrown into a pen of male slaves."
Assassin of Gor page 88
Bakers - Consists of hundreds of sub-Castes. Generally, those who are members of this Caste are those who prepare sa-tarna, or vegetarian food, in thousands of forms. Their Caste colors are Gold and White
I
stayed for four days in the rooms above the shop of Dina of Turia, there I dyed
my hair black and exchanged the robes of the merchant for the yellow and brown
tunic of the Bakers; to which Caste her father and two brothers had belonged.
Nomads of Gor page 237
Bleachers - This is a Low Caste responsible for bleaching fabrics to make them white. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
..Bleachers,
Dyers, Weavers and Leather Workers; its wardrobe and jewelry chambers; its
tarncots, two of them, opening by means of vast portals to tarn perches fixed in
the side of the cylinder... Assassin of Gor page 111
Charcoal Makers - This Caste concerns itself with the production of charcoal for use in Gorean forges and ovens. Their Caste colors are Black and Grey.
I
saw a wide, hunched figure, bending under a gigantic bundle of sticks, strapped
to his back by two cords which he held twisted in his fists in front of his
body. His stature and burden proclaimed him a member of the Caste of Carriers of
Wood, or Woodsmen, that Gorean Caste which, with the Caste of Charcoal Makers,
provides most of the common fuel for the Gorean cities. Outlaw of Gor
page 27
Cloth Workers - This is a Low Caste that produces and works on cloth and cloth products. The Rug Makers are a sub Caste of this Caste. The Weavers are a sub Caste of the Rug Makers. The Carders and the Dyers are sub Castes of the Weavers. Other sub Castes may exist of the Cloth Worker's Caste. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
The
carders and the dyers, incidentally, are sub Castes separate from the weavers.
All are sub Castes of the rug makers, which itself, interestingly, perhaps
surprisingly, is accounted generally as a sub Caste of the cloth workers. Rug
makers themselves, however usually regard themselves in their various sub
Castes, as being independent of the cloth workers. A rug maker would not care to
be confused with a maker of kaftans, turbans or djellabas. Tribesman of
Gor page 49 50
Cosmetician's Caste: This is a Low Caste that produces and sells cosmetics of various types to free women and slaves. Most free women rarely wear cosmetics except for the bold ones though there are certain cities, such as Ar, where free women do commonly use cosmetics. Many cosmeticians treat their free women clients almost like slaves. Cosmetics for slaves are much more common across Gor. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
...its corridors of rooms for staff members, all of whom
live in the House; its library, its records and files; its cubicles for Smiths,
Bakers, Cosmeticians, Bleachers, Dyers, Weavers and Leather Workers; its
wardrobe and jewelry chambers... Assassin of Gor page 111
Dress Makers - A sub-Caste of the Caste of Clothiers, which produces female garments. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
Drovers - This Caste concerns itself with the care and feeding of the various draft animals in use upon Gor, as well as the task of using wagons drawn by such creatures to ship goods from city to city. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
Fishermen - This is a Low Caste. The books do not state that there is any specific sub Castes of this Caste. Fishermen harvest the vast variety of Gorean aquatic life for human consumption. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
Goat-Keepers - This is a Low Caste that is responsible for the care and breeding of Gorean goats. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
...and
the men in that crowd were of all Castes, and even of Castes as low as the
Peasants, the Saddle Makers, the Weavers, the Goat Keepers, the Poets and
Merchants... Priest Kings of Gor page 294
Guardsmen - The books do not state that such a Caste exists. Any guardsmen in a city appear to be of the Warrior Caste. It is more a position with the City rather than an actual Caste. They have no Caste colors, and typically wear uniforms provided them by the city or village in which they work, in that settlement's traditional colors. The guardsmen of Ar, for instance, wear Red and Gold, while those of Cos traditionally wear Blue, and Turian guardsmen wear Yellow.
Leather Workers - This is a Low Caste. They work with leather, creating a variety of different products. Leather workers also responsible for the piercing of the ears and noses of slave girls. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
Ute,
who had been harnessed next to me, had been of the leather workers. A slave, of
course, in one sense, has no Caste. In being enslaved, she is robbed of Caste,
as well as of her name. Captive of Gor page 60
Merchant - This is a Low Caste though many within the Caste consider themselves a High Caste. Contains hundreds of sub-Castes. Those who are of this Caste are concerned with the sell and trade of merchandise for a profit. Their Caste colors are White and Gold.
Down
the stairway slowly, in trailing white silk, bordered with gold, the colors of
the Merchants, there regally descended the girl who was Aphris of Turia...
Aphris of Turia, then, was of the Caste of merchants. Nomads of Gor page
91
Metal Workers - Are concerned with the production of most metal items fabricated upon Gor. Sub-Castes include the Sword makers and Armourers, who produce various shields and helmets. Though many mentions are made of one wearing The robe of the Metal Workers, there are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
My
opponent was not Andreas, but a squat, powerful man with short-clipped yellow
hair, Kron of Tharna, of the Caste of Metal Workers... Outlaw of Gor page
113
Musicians - This is a Low Caste that shares some similarities with the Singer's and Poet's Castes. A Musician is not required to be literate as there is no written music on Gor. Melodies are simply passed on down the generations through teachers and families. Musicians may travel freely across Gor and are welcomed into nearly any city. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
In
most cities it is regarded, incidentally, as a criminal offense to enslave one
of the Caste of players. A similar decree, in most cities, stands against the
enslavement of one who is of the Caste of musicians. Beasts of Gor page
44
Peasants - This is the lowest of all Low Castes. Yet, economically, the base of life is the peasant and they are often known as the "Ox on which the Home Stone rests." They provide much of the food for the cities, towns and villages of Gor. The people of the cities have a very low opinion of Peasants. Their Caste color is Brown.
Even
the Caste of Peasants regarded itself as the "Ox on which the Home Stone
Rests" and could seldom be encouraged to leave their narrow strips of land,
which they and their fathers before them had owned and made fruitful.
Outlaw of Gor page 66
Perfumers - This is a Low Caste and it is responsible for the production and sale of perfumes for free women and slaves. Their Caste colors are White and Yellow.
My
assistant, a large fellow, but obviously stupid, smooth-shaven as are the
perfumers, in white and yellow silk, and golden sandals, bent over, hurried
forward. He carried a tray of vials. Marauders of Gor page 111
Players - Are comprised of those who have dedicated their lives to the expansion of the Gorean game of Kaissa. Members are granted blanket immunity to prosecution and slavery and are highly regarded based upon their level of skill. They wear distinctive hooded robes in their Caste colors of Red and Yellow in a checkered design much like the kaissa board itself.
The
Players are not a Caste, nor a clan, but they tend to be a group apart, living
their own lives. They are made up of men from various castes who often have
little in common but the game, but that is more than enough. They are men who
commonly have an extraordinary aptitude for the game but beyond this men who
have become drunk on it, men lost in the subtle, abstract liquors of variation,
pattern and victory, men who live for the game, who want it and need it as other
men might want gold, or others power and women, or others the rolled, narcotic
strings of toxic kanda. Assassin of Gor page 27
Poets - This is a Low Caste that appears very similar to the Singer's Caste. Their are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
It
could have been worse, I thought. After all, though the Caste of Singers, or
Poets, was not a high caste, it had more prestige than, for example, the Caste
of Pot-Makers or Saddle-Makers, with which it was sometimes compared...
Outlaw of Gor page 103
Pot Makers - This is a Low Caste responsible for making pottery of different types, often using kilns to prepare the pottery. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
Hup's
rag might once have been of the Caste of Potters.... Assassin of Gor page
10
Rence-Growers - This is a Low Caste, also known as the Growers of Rence. They reside on great floating man-made islands amidst the marshes and are highly territorial and secretive. They are known for their adoption and usage of the "Peasant Bow" in combat. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
"But I am of the Rencers!"
she wailed. The Rencers are often thought to be a higher caste than that
of the Peasants. Raiders of Gor page 93
Rug Maker's - This is a Low Caste that is obviously responsible for the making of rugs. It is a sub caste of the Cloth Worker's Caste though the Rug Makers like to consider themselves a separate Caste. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
Saddle Makers - They produce the saddlery, harness and tack used to manage all of the various riding and draft beasts of Gor. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
After
all, though the Caste of Singers, or Poets, was not a high caste, it had more
prestige than, for example, the Caste of Pot-Makers or Saddle-Makers, with which
it was sometimes compared. Outlaw of Gor page 103
Singers - This is a Low Caste that appears very similar to the Singer's Caste. Singers and Poets may travel freely across Gor and are welcomed into nearly any city. Their are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
Slavers - A sub caste of the Merchants, one which deals in human merchandise. Their caste colors are Blue and Yellow.
I
saw, too, four slavers, perfumed, in their robes of blue and yellow silk, come
north to buy women. I saw, by the cut of their robes, they were from distant
Turia. Marauders of Gor ch 10
Sleen Trainers - This is a Low Caste responsible for the care, breeding and training of sleens. Their Caste colors are Brown and Black.
He no longer now wore the brown
and black common to professional sleen trainers. He wore, as I, merchant
robes. Beasts of Gor page 78
Tarn Keepers - This is a Low Caste that is responsible for the care, breeding and training of the tarns, the aerial mounts of Gor. There is no specific Caste color given in the books though Tarn Keepers wear brown. If they support a racing faction their brown leather may be streaked with the color of that faction.
They are trained by men of the
Caste of Tarn Keepers to respond to it while still young, when they can be
fastened by wires to the training perches. Tarnsman of Gor page 132
Thieves - The caste of Thieves is exclusive to the city of Port Kar. They have no recognizable caste colors, but can be identified by a tiny, three-pronged black tattoo on their cheekbone, which is their caste marking.
On
his right cheek, over the cheekbone was the Thief brand of the Caste of Thieves
of Port Kar, who use the small brand to identify their members....
Assassin of Gor page 96
Torturers - This is not a Gorean Caste. It is a clan of the Wagon Peoples and only they have such a clan. Torturers are very well trained in the arts of detaining life and interrogation.
I noted, following me, as I had
more than once, a masked figure, one wearing the hood of the Clan of
Torturers. Nomads of Gor ch 12
Vintners - This is a Low Caste responsible for making wine and wine-based products. Their Caste colors are White and Green.
"Game!"
I heard, an answering cry, and a fat fellow, of the Caste of Vintners, puffing
and bright eyed, wearing a white tunic with a representation in green cloth of
leaves about the collar and down the sleeves of the garment, stepped forth from
a doorway. Assassin of Gor page 29
Weavers - This is a Low Caste responsible for the weaving of different items, especially rugs. The Weaver's is a sub caste of the Rug Maker's Caste, which is a sub caste of the Cloth Worker's Caste. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
Woodsmen - This is a Low Caste also known as the Carriers of Wood. They provide one of the essential fuels of Gor, the other being charcoal. They are responsible for chopping down trees and carrying the wood to market. Before they begin to chop down a tree, they will talk to the tree. They will tell the tree what the wood will be used for and then they will ask its forgiveness. There are no Caste colors given in the books for this Caste.
The
Gorean woodsman, it might be mentioned, before he will strike a tree with his
axe, speaks to the tree, begs its forgiveness and explains the use to which the
wood will be put... Captive of Gor page 238
I
saw a wide, hunched figure, bending under a gigantic bundle of sticks, strapped
to his back by two cords which he held twisted in his fists in front of his
body. His stature and burden proclaimed him as a member of the Caste of Carriers
of Wood, or Woodsmen, that Gorean caste which, with the Caste of Charcoal
Makers, provides most of the common fuel for the Gorean cities. The weight the
man was carrying was prodigious, and would have staggered men of most castes,
even that of the Warriors. the bundle reared itself at least a man's height
above his bent back, and extended perhaps some four feet in width. I knew the
support of that weight depended partly on the skillful use of the cords and
back, but sheer strength was only too obviously necessary, and this man, and his
caste brothers, over the generations, had been shaped to their task...
Outlaw of Gor page 27
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